Long Island Business Website Taken Down After Warning: BBB

RONKONKOMA, NY — An apparently shuttered Ronkonkoma truck part retailer that was investigated over hundreds of complaints has taken its website down after the Better Business Bureau recently issued a consumer warning, officials said.

Three hundred and ninety-one complaints were submitted to the bureau in the past year against SD Truck Springs, a formerly accredited business that suddenly became unresponsive earlier this year with the bureau unable to reach anyone there, officials said.

The company, which has not responded, is now non-accredited and has an F rating, according to officials.

Many complaints allege the business has stopped fulfilling online orders, is not providing refunds, and is not responding, officials said. When a bureau staffer drove to its last known address in Ronkonkoma, they saw no evidence it was still open, according to officials.

There was signage at the address, but the building was quiet, the parking lot was empty, and security video evidence shows the building appears to be abandoned, officials said.

The bureau's president and chief executive officer Claire Rosenzweig called the situation "a good cautionary tale for business owners who rely on automated outside vendors for online sales and other customer services."

“If you shut your doors but your website payment systems are still working, customers may think your business is still operating and pay online for orders that can't be filled.”

“When a formerly active company suddenly stops fulfilling paid orders and customers are losing money, it can come as a shock,” she said. “It’s concerning that this business is unresponsive and not fulfilling orders, but still appears to accept payments online. That is why we urge people to check BBB.org for the latest customer input about a business because things can and do change quickly.”

Calls to the company's last known phone number said the line was "temporarily unavailable."

A bureau spokesman could not be certain when the company's website was taken down.

A News 12 investigation last week found the company was sued by Kalamata Capitol for $188,270 in July and Firestone Industrial Products for $645,000 in March.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also told the outlet that her office has received complaints and is investigating.

New York’s Workers’ Compensation Board has issued a stop-work order because the company failed to provide proof of workers compensation coverage, the outlet reported.

Consumers who purchased merchandise from SD Truck Springs and did not receive their orders have reported that they left voicemails, sent emails, and wrote letters, but they were not able to reach anyone to get an update on their orders or to request refunds, according to the bureau.

Many who filed complaints about the company noted they waited months on end for their order without receiving it, officials said. The purchased items included accessories like airbags and truck springs, which cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, according to officials.

Some consumers said told the bureau that they never received their order number or any further information on their order status, while others reported receiving an order number, but no email confirmation, officials said.

Many of the complainants indicated they were returning, loyal customers, according to officials.